A generic holding apparatus primarily serves for fastening a satellite (in particular GPS) and/or mobile radio-controlled navigation device or smartphone to a vehicle, in particular a bicycle.
However, the holding apparatus can also be used for fastening arbitrary other multimedia devices (devices for processing electronic data) such as optical or acoustic recording devices, tablet PCs, mobile radio telephones and other information or telecommunication devices to arbitrary rod-shaped objects suitable for fastening. Due to the increasing multifunctionality of various handheld devices, the intended purpose of a multimedia device applied to the bicycle or vehicle can also vary. Depending on the use as a navigation device, communication device, radio, camera or also as an illumination element, the multimedia device can be fastened temporarily to the bicycle or vehicle in an appropriate position by means of the holding apparatus.
For the predominate number of uses, a fastening of the multimedia device to a handlebar of a bicycle or a motorcycle will be possible in a position facing the user. If necessary, the holding apparatus can however also be used for extraordinary purposes, e.g. for mounting a smartphone as an illumination element or as a camera to the vertical telescopic rod of a bicycle.
The rod-shaped object, which can be enclosed by the holding apparatus according to the invention, is thus preferably a handlebar of a bicycle or a motorcycle. The invention can however basically be used with any vehicle or any other device, which has a rod-like object, in particular a transverse handlebar. In addition to the primary usage areas “bicycle/motorcycle” the present invention can thus be used with various pedal- and engine-operated vehicles with two or more wheels, such as buggies, jeeps, off-road vehicles and the like. A use for construction, transport and water vehicles can also be sensible.
Numerous holding apparatuses for multimedia devices and mobile phones are already known from the automotive area, which enable a fixation of the multimedia device in the cockpit of the vehicle by means of various clamping or engaging apparatuses. Most of these apparatuses, as for example disclosed in DE 10206310 A1 or DE 202011051891 U1, however have rigid base parts, which do not ensure a sufficient damping compensation and slip security with a use in the two-wheeled area.
A strap-shaped holding apparatus introduced onto the market by the company S-SUN Enterprise, by means of which a rod-shaped object together with the multimedia device can be enclosed elastically, represents a first approach to a bicycle-suitable holding apparatus for a smartphone, but does not ensure sufficient stability in practice by means of its simple loop geometry (the smartphone is respectively overlapped frontally at its two end faces by means of a simple loop). In particular when driving over thresholds, stones or potholes, the smartphone inevitably moves into a direction oriented transversely to the loop direction and can subsequently even fall from the holder. This slipping effect is increased if the smartphone is not mounted in an exactly horizontal position to the handlebar, but in a position inclined towards the face of the user, which is in principle desirable with regard to ergonomics. As modern smartphones or multimedia devices are often found in the high price bracket due to their functional versatility, their fall at top speed is often connected to a severe financial loss of the user. In many cases, a data loss accompanying this will be accepted even more severely.
As a further disadvantage of generic holding apparatuses it has to be cited that that their loops passing transversely over the display of the smartphone or of the multimedia device can cover important parts of the display and furthermore move more and more towards each other or into the direction of the centre of the display due to their pretension directed towards a base below the handlebar during the shocks caused by driving. This can also hinder the operation of functional buttons usually arranged laterally at the smartphone.
JP 3176972 U and JP 57134877 U further have to be cited as state of the art.
JP 3176972 U shows a holding apparatus with two holding straps proceeding in parallel that can be fastened to a back side of a multimedia device. The holding straps are provided with hinges at their ends in the manner of wristwatch straps and can be wound around a bicycle handlebar. JP 57134877 U shows a rigid holding apparatus with an approximately U-shaped reception, into which a multimedia device can be inserted. The holding apparatus is fastened to a bicycle handlebar by means of a clamp that can be fixed with screws. With both above-mentioned holding apparatuses, no active clamping down of the multimedia device takes place in the direction of the bicycle handlebar, so that, in case of shocks during driving, a slipping or a loss of the multimedia device can be anticipated.